Snapshot from the dayjob
Because I like my job and don't want to be sacked I rarely write about the day job. Today I'm making an exception.
For 90 minutes this afternoon I had the pleasure of teaching bright young people some of the practicalities of textual intervention theory. This is my favourite form of literary theory as it's playful, inventive and provides insight in a creative way. The principle tutor on my degree was Rob Pope, an enthusiastic and endlessly interesting professor with a view of English far wider than the average lecturer. Rob effectively wrote the book on textual intervention - no, not effectively - he did write the book on it, and being in his classes, trying out these new ideas was a thrill.
Today, I tried to get a few ideas across to my students. Somehow, though, they managed to take the lesson and transform it with odd tangents (thank you Sami), new ideas (thank you Hannah) delight in inappropriate words (thank you Jo) and a general atmosphere of silliness (thank you everyone else). What a classroom observer might not have realised was that this class - these people - generated a host of good ideas and probably pushed their understanding of the subject on much further than my simple lesson objectives could ever do.
I'm always amazed that people will pay me to sing, although it's something I'd do for free. Today I felt genuinely thankful that I can spend time with such interesting and rewarding people - and get paid.
For 90 minutes this afternoon I had the pleasure of teaching bright young people some of the practicalities of textual intervention theory. This is my favourite form of literary theory as it's playful, inventive and provides insight in a creative way. The principle tutor on my degree was Rob Pope, an enthusiastic and endlessly interesting professor with a view of English far wider than the average lecturer. Rob effectively wrote the book on textual intervention - no, not effectively - he did write the book on it, and being in his classes, trying out these new ideas was a thrill.
Today, I tried to get a few ideas across to my students. Somehow, though, they managed to take the lesson and transform it with odd tangents (thank you Sami), new ideas (thank you Hannah) delight in inappropriate words (thank you Jo) and a general atmosphere of silliness (thank you everyone else). What a classroom observer might not have realised was that this class - these people - generated a host of good ideas and probably pushed their understanding of the subject on much further than my simple lesson objectives could ever do.
I'm always amazed that people will pay me to sing, although it's something I'd do for free. Today I felt genuinely thankful that I can spend time with such interesting and rewarding people - and get paid.
Comments
You're fired!